Mike Ford has admitted that he would have gladly swopped personal glory for Bath Rugby winning the Aviva Premiership Final.
The former Grasscroft resident was named the Aviva Premiership’s director of rugby of the season after guiding Bath to second place in the league, the Premiership final and quarter finals of the European Champions Cup.
But the season ended on a damp note as Bath, whose side included Mike’s son George, the Premiership’s player of the year, lost 28-16 to Saracens in the Premiership final in front of an 82,000 crowd at Twickenham.
Mike said: “I was proud to be named director or rugby of the year, but I would have swopped it to have won the Premiership.
“It was disappointing, but it has still been a great season for Bath. And we have such a young squad that the future looks really bright for the club.”
It was certainly a bitter-sweet ending to the season for the father and son as Bath had been favourites to beat Saracens and win their first championship since 1996.
But on an incredible night for the Ford family, Mike and George were honoured at the Premiership Rugby Awards in London when Mike was named director of rugby of the year and former Saddleworth Rangers and Waterhead junior George the player of the season.
“George is a worthy recipient of this year’s Aviva Premiership rugby player-of-the-season award,” said Phil Winstanley, rugby director at Premiership rugby.
“There is no doubt he has spear-headed an extremely talented back-line at Bath Rugby and his control and composure at fly-half show a remarkable maturity for someone so young.
One of only five 17-year-olds ever to have played Premiership Rugby when he made his debut in 2010, former Knowsley Primary pupil Ford was marked out for success from a very early age, establishing himself in the England team this season.
George was the top scorer in Aviva Premiership Rugby last season with 250 points and this season his impact has been enormous as Bath lost just three of the 14 Aviva Premiership games he played.
A former Rugby League international, Mike joined Bath in the summer of 2012. His knowledge of the game has been utilised to great success at international level with Ireland, England and the 2005 British and Irish Lions.
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